I'd also include our goals in the win at Old Trafford last season. The variety of the four goals is promising and reaffirms how difficult it'll be to defend against our varied attack.
That's the most satisfying thing about yesterday for me, four "strikers" all opening their season's account on the opening day It'll start getting interesting when we do sign a recognised front man, to share Jerome's impossible workload. But if / when goals are coming from midfield as well, that's a great sign.
Josh will be champing at the bit now his brother is starting games and scoring Worldies. Other than Ruddy blowing our clean sheet yesterday probably couldn't have gone any better.
Josh might well have come on yesterday if Olsson hadn't been injured. I loved the chant of "he's one of our own" after Jacob's goal. It's great to see them both get a chance, and Toffolo could be in the picture if Olsson's injury is serious.
Wet Sham will be worried. Want to sign Olsson as back up to Cresswell once he is fit. Why would Olsson go there to be back up?
Just watched the highlights again on the NCFC youtube channel. Not going to launch into anybody after such a resounding win, but not only was Ruddy largely responsible for their soft goal, but he later parried a fairly innocuous free kick which could have gone anywhere - fortunately a city defender was on hand to tidy up the mess Surely a matter of grave concern for the coaching staff?
As I said yesterday, he seems so mentally frail. The smallest mistake and he wobbles for the rest of the game. I don't know what happened to turn him like that.
Three or four years ago he knocked Didier Drogba out cold! These days, he flaps at corners and crosses so much he's more likely to knock himself out!!
I think he need a fresh start to be honest. Somewhere in there is a genuinely good keeper but he seem so shot mentally that I doubt were ever going to see it again here.
Sadly, I have to agree that he is VERY likely to cost us points, as is Whittaker if he starts any games/
I did find it somewhat amusing that the Blackburn goal was a combination of Whittaker not doing enough to stop the cross, and Ruddy flapping.
And Pinto, being easily out jumped to give the guy an almost free header. So, one game in and we've already established three (3) frailties in the defensive area of a side that won handsomely away from home!
I gave Pinto a free pass in that because he shouldn't really be the one jumping against Stokes, and the header alone shouldn't have been good enough to go in.
IMO, Pinto had a really good game and he's carried on improving at the rate he was at the end of last season. For all concerned, I think their goal had more to do with the four goal lead really. If it had cost us points then it would matter.
